Collaboration to develop bio insect controls

Insect pests cause billions of dollars in damage annually to farms, forests, landscapes, structures and domesticated animals. The yearly expenditure for insect control products is estimated to exceed $15 billion globally. Traditional chemical solutions are less selective and, may cause unwanted side effects like harm to the environment and pest resistance.

To provide innovative solutions, Phyllom BioProducts Corp. and Vestaron Corporation have entered into a collaboration to develop novel, effective yet low impact biological insect controls by a research and development collaboration. Both companies have novel EPA registered active ingredients based on natural proteins.

Phyllom's natural protein is derived from a microbe naturally found in soils and on plants around the world called Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). While this insect control has been used by organic gardeners, farmers and foresters for decades, Phyllom has harnessed the power of a patented strain called BT galleriae with a patented natural Cry protein that is uniquely effective against beetles, weevils and borers including the difficult to control adult stage.

Vestaron's technologies are based on powerful proteins derived from spiders. Vestaron's spider peptides work differently from Phyllom's proteins.

Of the collaboration, John Sorenson, Vestaron CEO, said the two companies are "exploring synergistic opportunities to control insect pests with potentially lower doses and better results." John Libs, Phyllom CEO added that the companies "anticipate that these products will maintain the environmental advantages offered by bioinsecticides."

The companies expect that biopesticides derived from the collaboration will demonstrate performance advantages such as improved crop/plant/animal health and the control of difficult and resistant pests or disease vectors. In addition, the companies believe that customers will find that worker schedules are easier to manage because of new products with shorter pre-harvest and worker re-entry intervals, application flexibility, worker safety and many other practical value added benefits for customers.